Day 6 – Already???

I don’t know how many times I’ve actually written this day up, but due to the virus problem was not able to save it, but should all be ok now.. so here goes

Don’t know how I managed to get up on time this morning…. but I did.  Gobbled down a quick breakfast and then took the bike for a wash at the local garage then back to pick up my camera etc.

Arrived at the tour meeting point at about 9.30, quite a few bikes there already so its going to be a big group.  While I’m waiting I decide to take some photos only to find I left the camera battery on charge in the hotel… damn!  The ride is leaving at 10 (allegedly) so I’ve got 10 minutes to get back to fetch my battery and get back.  Zoom, Zoom…. done!!

So much for a 10am start… at 10.20 they do the ride briefing… basically  there are about 200 bikes so it will be very slooooow going, deep joy.

At last we get away at 10.30… up into the hills to the first stopping point… this is a Portuguese ‘Palace’ and it takes some time to get us all parked.

I decide not to go inside, I prefer to sit at a nearby cafe and enjoy a coffee.  The next stop is the lunch venue… we are having a 3 course set lunch in a winery.. the place is huge and the food good.  The provide lots of wine with the meal… not exactly a good idea with bikers!  I didn’t imbibe of course, but some did.. mmmm

It sit at a table with some Brits…. the guy next to me is called John but his biker name is Barney.. so I say ‘oh! is that because you look like Barney Rubble?’ ‘No’ says he ‘it’s my middle name’ so I say ‘yes, but you do look like Barney Rubble tho’ to which his wife, Sue, lol and agreed with me.  Next to them is Neil and his wife Jane.. she has just flown in this morning as she has had to work in London – no idea what she does, but she seems very nice… hubby is a bit subdued and only seems interested in buying a couple of bottles of plonk from the winery.

Barney however is very chatty… he tells me his life story, well practically.. used to be a plod in Yorkshire but his mate started up his own business and offered him a plum job, an offer Barney obviously couldn’t refuse it seems as he is still with the company.  Sue is his second wife and he has a daughter with his first.. they live in Wales, just over the border from Bristol.  The best place he ever lived was Foxton in Cambs… they only lived there a year, but when they left the villagers gave them a farewell party… ???  All lovely people actually, very friendly and I certainly enjoyed the company, for a change.

After the lunch they announce that the next venue.. another ‘Palace’ will have a guided tour and as this is a huge place the tour will take 2 1/2 hours… err no I don’t think so, not with these old knees!  I decide to take my leave and go shopping 🙂

On the way down I stop to take some scenic shots, it really is a lovely area.

Decide to go back to the rally site to see what’s going on… not a lot… few more piccies

A bit bored now, so off for another ride around… decide to take the road east out of Cascais to Estoril.  There I stumble upon the Harley Custom Bike Show… ahhhh let’s have a look.

There are some interesting bikes, one of which is an Electra Glide (thats one with a huge fairing or batwing on the front), it has a scene depicted on the front, it looks like someone being tortured and reminds me of Guantanamo Bay, its meant to be a tribute to the British forces who have died in Afghanistan… a very worthy idea and I have to say the artwork is not all that brilliant in my opinion, but who am I to say.  Suppose I should have taken a photo… oh well.

There are a lot of bikes with unusual and very expensive paint jobs, but for me a custom bike means something that has had some work and unique ideas put into it, beyond chucking a load of money on painting it.

These are more to my taste…

and my particular favourite… a totally restored Panhead… with a few custom touches.